ARCADIA

Chapter Five

The Doctor was wary as he walked towards the hill and Jackie walked towards him. This was far too easy. He wondered if Jackie had been wired with explosives that Callisto would detonate if he got close to her or she'd been brainwashed to kill him. Which given their history together would have been remarkably easy to do since there were many times Jackie claimed she was gonna murder him for something he did to put Rose in jeopardy. He had Jack and Ianto guarding Rose and he was confident they could protect her so he was going to take a risk and grab Jackie while she passed by.

Except she didn't pass by. She stopped when she reached him and glared at him. '

"Nice to see you as well, Jackie," the Doctor said to her.

"You bastard, it's your fault this happened," Jackie growled at him, which the Doctor had to admit was the most emotion he'd seen come from her.

"Yeah, yeah, Jackie, just go on, your daughter's waiting," the Doctor said, pointing to Rose.

He was intending to grab her as she walked by but she still didn't move. Instead, her hand went down to her crotch and the Doctor flinched when he realized the spandex hugged her crotch as well. But then he noticed a slight bulge near it and realized there was a pocket there that was designed to blend in with the rest of the outfit. He stepped back and gave Jackie a look of warning.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Jackie," he growled at her.

Jackie shoved her hand into the pocket and lunged at the Doctor. The Doctor grabbed her and tried to pull her back towards Rose while Jackie smacked his face and head with one hand. Ianto ran towards the Doctor so he could help while Jack held Rose back and guarded her. Callisto had a huge smirk on his face while he watched from the hill and the Doctor realized how ugly an expression that was for his face as he glanced at him.

Then there was a bright green light and the Doctor knew what the thing in the pocket had been and he knew what Callisto was doing and he cursed himself for allowing himself to get so close to them. He felt the android body failing and he stumbled away when Jackie let go at him at Callisto's command. He saw Jackie turn and walk back to Callisto without any resistance and he knew Jackie had been turned into his slave. But for the moment, he needed to get the android body away from Callisto before something else happened to it. He knew the pulse disabled everything electronic, including most likely his screwdriver. He also knew he had to get out of the body before it failed completely and trapped him. Callisto ordered Jackie to run to him and he called out to the Doctor, telling him they'd meet again before he and Jackie ran away.

"No! Don't follow him," the Doctor said when Ianto started to give chase.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Rose said, running to him with Jack.

"He used a plasma grenade and the android body is shutting down," the Doctor said as he fell to his knees in front of her. "Rose, I have to use your body again until this is repaired, I'm sorry."

"Do what you have to do," Rose said, falling to her knees beside him.

"I have a feeling this was part of his plan all along," Jack said.

"Yes, I'm sure it is but I have no choice," the Doctor said to him as he pushed Rose's hair away from her temples. "This body is shutting down and if I don't go into Rose, I'll be trapped in it. I'm sorry, Rose."

"It's alright, I don't mind, as long as it's you," Rose said.

The Doctor hurried and pushed his consciousness back into Rose's body while the last of the android's systems went into shutdown mode. He managed to get the entirety of his being inside Rose before the android went dead and shut down. Jack looked at Rose.

"Did he make it?" Jack said.

"Yes, he's here," Rose said, nodding. "He's safe."

Jack and Ianto looked at the android, it was still kneeling but the body was frozen into position with no sign of life.

"So…we carry this thing back inside the TARDIS and get it fixed then?" Ianto said.

"The Doctor said he has a feeling we're gonna be prevented from doing that," Rose said to them. "Otherwise, why would he disable the body?"

"So…now what?" Jack said, looking around.

"Maybe Jackie put some explosives on the android body while they were fighting," Ianto said. "So if we move it…kaboom!"

"I don't know but they can't be far," Jack said, looking at the hill. "We could run them down and get Jackie back."

"The Doctor says that he thinks mum was brainwashed to kill us," Rose said.

"That must have been easy to do since Jackie wanted to kill us half the time whenever we brought Rose back to her," Jack said.

"So, we just stand here?" Ianto said. "Should we make a move towards the TARDIS and see what happens?"

"Just everyone…stand back," Jack said. "I'm gonna try to move this body and if there is a bomb on it and it goes off, I can come back to life, you guys can't."

Ianto touched Rose's arm and they walked back towards the compound while Jack stayed with the android. Jack waited until they were far enough away before taking a deep breath. He leaned down, grabbed under the arms of the android and silently counted to three before jerking the body up as he straightened up. He waited with the others but nothing happened and after a couple of minutes, he shrugged.

"I don't think it's rigged," he said. "All the same, stay away from me while I go towards the TARDIS."

He looked at the TARDIS and started to drag the android body towards it but Rose called out to him and pointed. Jack looked at her. Rose was pointing to the hill and Jack looked over and saw Jackie standing by herself on top of it. Everyone froze and looked at her but no one moved or did anything.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Jack finally said to her.

"Rose, come to me," Jackie said. "I need to speak to you and the Doctor."

Rose, no, the Doctor thought to her. Stay back.

"No, we're not coming towards you," Rose said. "Callisto did something to you, Mum."

"I am here under a temporary truce, I give you my word," Jackie said dispassionately. "My master needs to give you instructions on what to do next."

"Doctor, take me over," Rose said softly.

Are you sure, my hearts, he thought back to her.

"Yeah, use my body."

Relax then.

Rose relaxed her body and cleared her mind and she slowly felt herself being pushed back. Then she became the observer while the Doctor became the dominant one.

"This is the Doctor," he said to Jackie. "I have taken control of Rose's body. How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"You don't but if you want to defeat the master, you'll have to take a chance," Jackie said.

The Doctor glanced at Jack and walked towards him.

"Remember, Rose has been chipped so if something happens and we're snatched…"

"Got it," Jack muttered back.

"I would allow myself to be captured just for that purpose, except I'm afraid what he would do to Rose and I'm sure he wouldn't allow that, no fun if I'm taken too early. Anyway…"

He walked over to Jackie while Jack and Ianto watched. The Doctor climbed the hill but stopped three feet away from Jackie.

"So, what is the message?" he said.

"Do you know where the salt plains are?" Jackie said.

"I do," the Doctor said.

"Go there and you'll receive holographic instructions for the next part of your quest," Jackie said.

The Doctor nodded. He waited for Jackie to say more but she remained silent. He could tell she was trying to fight her conditioning though because she was struggling to say something to him that he was sure wasn't part of Callisto's plan. He could guess what she was trying to say though.

"I will protect Rose with my lives, Jackie," he said to her. "She won't fall into his hands again, I swear it."

He guessed correctly when Jackie relaxed upon hearing that. He then saw her trying to move her hand and he guessed she wanted to touch her cheek. But since it was him, he decided to switch places so he allowed Rose control of her body again.

She wants to touch your cheek, I think, my hearts, he thought to her. But Callisto's conditioning is too strong, she's fighting it but it's not enough. I thought you might like a moment with her though. I don't think she'll hurt you.

Rose noticed the trembling hand after the Doctor said that. She took it and put Jackie's hand against her cheek.

"It's me, Mum, the Doctor switched back with me. I love you and we'll do everything we can to save you, I promise you that."

She thought she saw her mother nod just a little. She leaned over and kissed Jackie's cheek and whispered her love to her. She leaned back up and noticed her mother's eyes were misty and her heart ached, seeing her mother like this.

We better go, Rose, the Doctor thought to her. Callisto might punish her if he twigs that she's trying to break her conditioning.

"I'm gonna let you go, Mum," Rose said to Jackie. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Jackie managed to get out in a whisper.

Reluctantly, Rose turned away and forced herself to walk away towards Jack and Ianto. She looked over her shoulder and swallowed hard when Jackie turned and walked down the hill away from them.

"I'll save you, Mum, I promise," Rose whispered as she watched her mother go.

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